March 2026 — 2026-05-05

The number of job openings was unchanged at 6.9 million in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires increased to 5.6 million while total separations changed little at 5.4 million. Within separations, both quits (3.2 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.9 million) were little changed. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the month. Hires and separations include all changes to the payroll during the entire month. The number of job openings was unchanged at 6.9 million in March. The job openings rate, at 4.1 percent, changed little over the month. The number of job openings decreased in professional and business services (-318,000) but increased in finance and insurance (+98,000).